((ooc: Open to 2 other players.

Take's place a few days after Giant's Bane and Issie's exploits in The Naked Giant.))

Rupert Kelley was making a Ruben sandwich with a vengeance. Insomniacs Anonymous was dead at this hour--an ungodly three in the afternoon. Its owner, one Bethany Marley, was doing what every sane insomniac was doing: crashing on a couch in the backroom, trying to sleep. It was just Rupert Kelley, Lucy Marley, and one lone customer who looked disgustingly awake and well-adjusted to the sunlight streaming in through the small coffee shop's windows. None of them were talking. The TV set in the corner of the shop supplied all the conversation they needed.

"--I saw her with my own eyes. You best believe I saw her. Her and that boy, naked as the day his momma cursed his birth. It was that girl that stabbed all them cops; I seen her on the TV during her trial and I thought to myself, 'Why, I never seen such a sweet girl. 'Course she's innocent--' "

The Ruben was almost done. Just a little toasting on the bread was left. Rupert Kelley flipped it with a move like a slashing knife. The large sandwich flipped, all right. You better believe it flipped. Somehow, it even managed to stay together, and land back in the pan.

"--was just watchin' my soaps, and telling Jeremy to get that toy out of his mouth, when my window shattered! Can you believe it? And then I realized that there was this smoky smell, so I looked out the window and--"

There was a smoky smell, all right. Lucy Marley reached up one thin arm, and tapped the TV off. Insomniacs Anonymous fell into the distinct void of New York City silence: cars braking and accelerating, horns honking, a steady roar of voices. White noise in its purest form. "That's enough TV for you, Iron Chef. Your Ruben is smoking up the shop."

"Sorry." Rupert growled. The pan was unceremoniously upended over a plate Lucy had set, waiting, next to him. It landed with a crispy bounce. The teenager, co-owner of the coffee shop with her mother, deftly grabbed the plate before Rupert could abuse the order any further: in a rare move, she did Rupert's work for him, and delivered the plate with an even rarer smile. Entirely fake, of course. She spun on her heel, and--smile frozen in place--hooked a hand around Rupert's apron strings, and pulled.

"Come on, Lassie. You and I need to talk."

The backroom was occupied by a woman fitfully tossing and turning on a couch. Lucy dragged him up the flight of stairs to the tidy apartment above the shop. There, she rounded on him in a swirl of white dress and too-red cheeks. "What the Hell is wrong with you? Yeah, some of your cop buddies got their asses killed the other day. It's terrible. Stop taking it out on the shop. You're the one who asked for this job. Take the day off, if you're that upset. Go pet your poodle and cook your elaborate one-man dinners."

Rupert stared at the girl. Correction: Rupert stared at the mutant, who happened to be one of the freaks who looked so unfortunately human. For a long time, he'd been able to pretend she'd been just another powers-wannabe; during Registration, however, she'd voluntarily submitted to a bracelet fitting. Rupert had checked the paperwork himself: the blood sample she'd given had been positive. She had the x-gene. Behind those furious eyes was something that shared blood with murderers and sadists. Freak.

"What was that?" She demanded.

Rupert hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud. He didn't regret it, though. "Freak," he repeated, with clear enunciation. "You're just another freak."

"You're one to talk, Zealotmancer. Seriously. Take the day off." She was still posturing. Her cheeks were still red, and her eyes still fierce; she still thought this was one of the millions of childish name-calling spats they'd had in the years he'd been a customer here and the weeks he'd been an employee.

Rupert's face was settling into a dangerous calm. "I don't take orders from you."

"Yeah," the girl replied, with a flick of her hair, "you do. Co-owner, remember? Go home, Stalin."

Rupert could only shake his head slowly. "What would we have done with the bodies?" He wondered aloud.

"What?" The college freshman didn't follow that leap. In Rupert's mind, though, it was quite a logical train of thought:

"Really, what would we have done with the bodies? We should have killed you all during Registration, and damn the public outcry. But what would we have done with the bodies? You freaks aren't even fit for fertilizer."

Lucy's mouth worked silently for a moment. Words failed her. Completely. It was the first time in her life. All she could do was turn on her heel, and walk to her bedroom. The door shut with an understated click. Rupert went back downstairs.

The coffee shop was empty. On the counter were the half-eaten remains of a burned Ruben, and a pile of money that didn't come close to covering the actual order. Rupert shoved it into the cash register, and turned back on the TV.

"--In other news, the third annual Church of Humanity benefit dinner for impoverished children is reporting ticket sales far exceeding expectations. Though the group has been criticized for specifying its aid to only human children, the work it has done throughout the city in helping to rebuild after post-mutant incidents has prompted some city officials to praise the group's place in the community. Membership has seen a resurgence, after a brief lull following the deaths of leading Church Council members--"

Rupert Kelley, former Mutant Interment Camp Supervisor, former NYPD Detective, former beat officer and former victim of mutant violence, was a man who formerly cared about trying to understand why the freaks did what they did. Formerly. That had been his biggest mistake, really. It was like questioning why the family dog suddenly tried to bite the face off your neighbor's child. It didn't need a reason: it was a dog. Even if it had a reason, it was nothing but a dog's reason, and the neighbor's kid was still in the hospital. So what do you do with the dog?

You put it down, of course.

Rupert Kelley leaned against the countertop, waiting for the next customer. He didn't need a day off. For the first time in months, his thoughts were perfectly clear: the freaks needed putting down. That was all there was too it.

Sam walked the streets of New York trying to memorize the lay out of each of the major and minor streets. So next time he was on one of his late night superhero gigs he would be able to find out exactly how to get home. Sam was tired of showing at the mansion at 6 in the morning and was even tired of waking the kids with enhanced hearing.

Sam let out a loud yawn as he happened to walk by a coffee shop, ‘Guess that it’s a sign I need some coffee.’ Thought Sam as he walked into the building. The smell of coffee and burnt bread filled the air as he took a big whiff of it. ‘Smells good’ thought Sam as he walked over to the bar stools and sat down waiting to be served.

The Television immediately caught Sam’s attention as he noticed they were talking about ‘Church of Humanity’ ‘what humanity? It only catered to humans not mutants, that was humanity that is selective charity’ thought Sam. But of course Sam didn’t verbalize it. Instead he put on a fake smile and said, “Good thing they’re doing there.”

Sam looked around the small coffee shop and let out a small smile, it was huge and it wasn’t small. The perfect size now let’s just see how their coffee is. Sam hated star bucks with a passion, he was tired of walking around every corner of New York and seeing two or three of them on the same block, it made him sick. Besides why should he have to pay six dollars for a cup of burnt coffee?

Sam looked at the guy behind the counter and immediately had a flash of deja vu where did he see this guy before? Wasn’t at the mansion, probably not in person. It was a picture of a news clip somewhere. Sam held back from asking only because the man had a look like the day wasn’t going his way. Sam looked down at the counter then back at the television until the guy behind the counter spoke first, Sam wasn’t the type of guy to interrupt in someone’s thought process.

Sighing heavily Kaz walked down the street reading a book on Japanese Architecture. To be more precise, he was flipping through the pages and looking at the pictures. He'd quickly become bored by the text in the book while he strolled through Central Park. By the time he had exited the park he'd realized he was quite hungry and his mouth was somewhat dry.

Rubbing his face a bit, he asked a few people he passed buy where the closet place was to grab a bit to eat and for strong coffee. Some ignored him, some didn't have a clue, one or two pointed him towards a small-ish place called Insomniacs Anonymous. <What do I have to loose.> He thought to himself as he felt a little pang of hunger in his gut.

Following the directions somewhat absent mindedly, he pushed open the door and moved his way toward the counter. He didn't notice anyone else in the building except for the man behind the counter and the other sitting on a stool patiently waiting to be served. At first this seemed to be an oddity to Kaz, until he thought of the name. He chuckled inwardly, from the name he was somewhat surprised they were even open at this time of day. He sat down next to the guy on the stool and waited his turn, looking through his book.

"Church of Humanity? Nothing but a bunch of loons wearing a mask." He didn't really care if either of the men took notice of what he said. He hadn't noticed it consciously, it came out as if he were thinking it.

A customer.

As the door pushed open, Rupert shoved off from the counter and gave the young man an amiable nod. His whole demeanor got even more easy-going as the man claimed a stool and made this comment:

>> “Good thing they’re doing there.”

Rupert gave a damn straight nod. "Definitely. Sometimes, it seems like they're the only ones in this city who are actually doing anything." Doing anything about what was left in the air. About child poverty? About rebuilding heavily vandalized areas? Or about the freaks? An easy smile came to his lips. It was good to met people of a like mind. He was just about to ask for the man's order when the door opened again. Rupert glanced up at the newcomer, then back to the man on the stool. Then, with a sudden scowl, back to the newcomer.

Silver hair.

Red eyes.

Elf ears.

And a book on Japanese Architecture. Cute. It was like the thing had enough rational intelligence to have interests, and a hobby. Dogs always did have their favorite chew toy. The thing took a seat at the counter, like it had just as much of a right as the other man to be there. Very cute.

>> "Church of Humanity? Nothing but a bunch of loons wearing a mask."

"A mask." Rupert said blandly, staring down at the seated man. "Speaking of masks: a little early for the Halloween costumes, isn't it?" He asked. The distain dripping from his tone made it clear he didn't think those looks were a costume at all. And the sneer on his face as his eyes slowly swept over the man's features made it damn clear what he thought about that.

He turned back to the first man to come in, with a tightly apologetic smile. "Sorry," he said, in all honesty, "the owner says we've got to serve all types. I'll give you ten percent off your order for the inconvenience. What will you have?" Naturally, the silver-haired freak wasn't worth so much as a glance while Rupert attended to the needs of his fellow human.

"Definitely. Sometimes, it seems like they're the only ones in this city who are actually doing anything."

Sam just smiled and nodded not adding anything to the man’s stern out look on the situation. Even though Sam was a mutant he didn’t feel like upsetting any one especially some one who was about to make his food. Sam was about to engage the man in conversation as a human that looked like he just came from a lord of the rings convention.

"Church of Humanity? Nothing but a bunch of loons wearing a mask."

Sam looked at the obvious mutant with a straight-faced look. Again he didn’t feel like starting trouble but it was something about this mutant that screamed ‘badass’ it was the way he carried himself red eyes, silver hair, he obviously didn’t care who saw him for what he was. Sam only looked for a second until he turned his head back around to the man behind the counter. Already waiting for the comments to come.

"A mask." "Speaking of masks: a little early for the Halloween costumes, isn't it?"

Sam could feel the hate the man tossed around in each word. ‘Hates mutants huh? Defiantly shouldn’t let him know that I’m one’ thought Sam as he just had a blank stare on his face as he looked back to the television pretending that he didn’t hear any of it. ‘The biggest problem in this world’ thought Sam, ‘there is people like this on both sides making it impossible to live a peaceful life.’ Sam looked back to the man as he spoke with an apologetic and at the same time hateful tone in his voice.

"Sorry," "the owner says we've got to serve all types. I'll give you ten percent off your order for the inconvenience. What will you have?"

Sam’s eyes darted into a frown, “I’ll pay full price it isn’t a problem.” Sam’s eyes resumed there normal positioning on his head as he said, “I’ll take a coffee black and two sandwiches with everything on it.” A touch of annoyance came into Sam’s tone as he spoke to the man but he hoped it would soon fade after all he didn’t want any trouble.

Kaz could tell the man behind the counter was going to rub him the wrong way. Quickly. "Speaking of masks: a little early for the Halloween costumes, isn't it?" Kaz looked him in the eye and smirked, "Didn't you monkey-boy," Kaz's smirk turned into a full fledged smile, "It's always Halloween around here. I can show you a real 'costume' if you'd like." His smile faded back into a confident smirk. It's not that he hated humans, most of them he did, he just didn't care about the man's opinion at all.

Picking up his place in the book, he decided to keep reading while he waited his turn. "Sorry, the owner says we've got to serve all types. I'll give you ten percent off your order for the inconvenience. What will you have?" Kaz chuckled slightly, "Smart person. More business that way." He said offhandedly as he flipped the page.

From the corner of his eye Kaz saw the frown come to the man's face on his left. “I’ll pay full price it isn’t a problem.” Kaz raised an eyebrow at the man. Why did he turn down the offer? As he ordered Kaz easily caught the annoyance in his voice. He turned and looked at the man, "Take the discount. It's no skin off my back, and obviously none off his." He motioned to the man behind the counter dismissively. "Not like I'd find it rude." There was no sarcasm in his voice, just honesty. "He seems pretty wound up, it might help him relax a bit if he's nice to someone." He winked at the man and went back to his book.

>> "Didn't you monkey-boy. It's always Halloween around here. I can show you a real 'costume' if you'd like."

Not worthy of reply. Superior smirk and all: not worthy of a reply. Rupert still turned to ask his fellow human's order.

>> "Smart person. More business that way."

Was the mutie talking, or were the commercials blaring on the TV just more inane than usual? Customer one was being awfully quiet. Awfully quiet, except for this little precious gem:

>> “I’ll pay full price it isn’t a problem. I’ll take a coffee black and two sandwiches with everything on it.”

Rupert stared at the man. His manner didn't change; it just... stilled. He'd pay full price, would he? Well. Wasn't that sweet. It was so nice to meet people of a different mind. His pleasure, really. "Do you want to be more specific on those sandwiches?" He asked levelly. "We've got clubhouse, Rubens and Rachels, BLT, chicken salad, pork roll, hot ham, Philly Cheese, Buddha's Delight, and anything else you want. They don't all fit between two slices." As expected from a mutant sympathizer, this kid was clearly a genius. Where did he think he was, a hotdog cart? Sandwiches didn't come 'with everything on it'. As for the coffee: Rupert grabbed a clean mug out from under the sink, and turned around to grab a pot. Coffee, black. At least the kid knew how a real man took his coffee. There was hope for him, yet.

>> "Take the discount. It's no skin off my back, and obviously none off his. Not like I'd find it rude. He seems pretty wound up, it might help him relax a bit if he's nice to someone."

He seems pretty wound up, was it? Rupert poured the younger customer's drink with a steady hand and a turned back as he listened to the mutant yap. He lived with a poodle: he was used to dogs yapping. It might help him relax a bit if he's nice to someone. He heard his fair share of yipping, too. Rupert turned around, mug filled to the brim with a boiling black brew. He stepped back to the counter. Then, with all the deliberation in the world, he tried to upend the scalding liquid over the silver haired freak's pretty little picture book.

"I'm sorry," he deadpanned, trying to lock the thing's red eyes into a level stare, "I'm a little wound up. Turns out a few of my friends just got butchered by you freaks. You'll have to excuse me if my hands are trembling in fear at your mere presence. It might help me relax if you show yourself the door."

“Do you want to be more specific on those sandwiches?" "We've got clubhouse, Rubens and Rachels, BLT, chicken salad, pork roll, hot ham, Philly Cheese, Buddha's Delight, and anything else you want. They don't all fit between two slices."

Sam gave an apologetic smile, “Sorry, I’ll take a clubhouse and BLT extra with the B and L.” Sam really didn’t feel like having to deal with a fight between those two, no doubt he could restrain the human but the mutant? That was different story considering that the odds were against Sam with the elf’s mutation. Sure if Sam really wanted to he could freeze him but that wouldn’t really solve anything.

Sam could smell the coffee being poured, as his nose seemed to tingle with anticipation. Sam’s body loosened up almost instantly when he saw it. Then saw it as it was heading towards the mutants book. In a fast stretching motion Sam reached his hand out over the book so his forearm and hand took the scalding coffee. It took a second for the heat to process on Sam’s pain scale but when he did it was perfect for the situation. Jumping up, “Ah Damn that’s hot, why would you pour that there?”

"I'm sorry," "I'm a little wound up. Turns out a few of my friends just got butchered by you freaks. You'll have to excuse me if my hands are trembling in fear at your mere presence. It might help me relax if you show yourself the door."

Sam let out a pained wince, “Well if your poring hot coffee all over them…” looking to the mutant with sympathy, “Well maybe he didn’t do anything wrong, just because some mutants did it doesn’t mean all should be blamed for it, besides I think that there at fault as much as us humans are.” Sam held back a grin when he called him self a human, “We had the atrocity to build camps for them.” Sam was now staring at the man behind the counter with intensity and kindness in his eyes, he really felt like there was know reason they should be the each other this much, just because there different.

So the man behind the counter didn't respond to Kaz's jibes, no big deal. Though he did seem to respond to the human. His tone changed a bit, as if he were talking to someone just within his tolerance level. While Kaz listened to their exchange, he didn't pay it much attention as he read the book while he waited. It wasn't until he smelled the coffee being poured that he looked up from the book.

He looked up just in time to see the man, Rupert according to the name-tag on his apron, begin the motions of pouring the liquid over his book. Kaz didn't begin to move. It was a book, it could be replaced, he wouldn't give the man anything for it. Though he didn't have to worry about it, as the human beside him put his hand in the way, taking the hot coffee on his skin as he grabbed the mug. Kaz looked at him to say 'thanks' in any way. His look was more of a warning, 'you stick you hand near my face again, and you won't have an arm' type look.

“Ah Damn that’s hot, why would you pour that there?” It didn't matter. Fact is he tried. And succeeded, Kaz noted as a few drops of coffee stained his page.

"I'm sorry, I'm a little wound up. Turns out a few of my friends just got butchered by you freaks. You'll have to excuse me if my hands are trembling in fear at your mere presence. It might help me relax if you show yourself the door." Rupert stared at Kaz, and Kaz stared right back.

“Well maybe he didn’t do anything wrong, just because some mutants did it doesn’t mean all should be blamed for it, besides I think that there at fault as much as us humans are. We had the atrocity to build camps for them.”

Kaz wasn't looking at the human anymore, he was looking at Rupert. Why hadn't he noticed the name-tag before, was it covered just right by the apron, was his arm in the way? Kaz tried to remember, but couldn't picture it. He was generally very good at noticing details, <Another drawback?> "Rupert," He ignored the human. "Taking your words and actions as a basis, everything any mutant has ever done to a human is perfectly acceptable. We're different from you, beneath you in your eyes, you don't understand us, so you fear and hate us. And that gives you the right to do anything you want, at least in your own minds." He closed his book. "Same with mutants, but more so. You humans have been going after us for a long time. So mutants retaliate. When they do you can't handle it, because you humans are nothing."

Kaz stood up slowly, as he did, he shifted forms. He snapped his hand out to grab Rupert by the throat and lift him up. Squeezing just enough to make breathing difficult and to make him focus on Kaz and what he said. "I can guarantee you, your friends brought their deaths apon themselves. What you humans don't seem to get, is to stay out of our business! You butt your noses in where you don't belong, and it gets you killed. When the Sanctuary opened, you morons tried to stop the mutants outside, and got yourselves killed. At KP, you started to get smart. You stayed back and kept everyone else away. Almost. You let a few people through, the helicopter and the squad car. The helicopter was taken out, and the car was crushed. Both times people got hurt or killed. And now, I can guarantee you, instead of doing what they should have done, those 'friends' of yours, put themselves into those mutant's way. Practically asking for death." He was snarling at Rupert with barely controlled hate, though his voice, posture and expression, minus the snarl, was calm. "If you're so concerned and upset, be upset with them. Tell them instead of butting into our affairs, they should be clearing the area, keeping people away until we're done. Buildings, cars, material possessions can be replaced, your lives cannot."

Customer number one was going to be waiting a good long while for that clubhouse and BLT, 'extra with the B and L'. Rupert didn't know it, but when he upended that coffee, he'd been posing a question. The question went a little something like this: 'Are you a freaking genius?'

'Extra with the B and L' gave his answer in a swift motion. A little too swift for Rupert to call off his own--coffee cups didn't just un-upend themselves on a dime--but plenty slow for him to let out a series of fluent swears.

>> “Ah Damn that’s hot, why would you pour that there?”

" 'Ah Damn' yourself!" Rupert snapped. "Why the Hell did you just do that?" The man had just risked second degree burns over a book. A book on Japanese Architecture. It wasn't like Rupert had been pouring it over the mutant's head. Since when was a human's arm worth less than a mutie's book?

>> “Well if you're poring hot coffee all over them… Well maybe he didn’t do anything wrong, just because some mutants did it doesn’t mean all should be blamed for it, besides I think that there at fault as much as us humans are. We had the atrocity to build camps for them.”

Intensity and Kindness could go get in the car down to Hell with Good Intentions. Rupert met the other human's overly emotional gaze with his own, and his own happened to be about the same temperature as that coffee had been. "Atrocity." He started simply. "The only atrocity about the Camps--"

>> "Rupert,"

Aww. Now the little elf boy would like to get in a few words. Rupert stopped mid-sentence, so he could properly scowl at the thing. The thing that could talk, and read a nametag. Well wasn't it just talented? Maybe it hadn't been using that book for its pictures, after all.

>> "Taking your words and actions as a basis, everything any mutant has ever done to a human is perfectly acceptable."

Reverse 'mutant' and 'human', and that's what was acceptable.

>> "We're different from you, beneath you in your eyes, you don't understand us, so you fear and hate us. And that gives you the right to do anything you want, at least in your own minds."

In their own minds? True. Unfortunately, quite true. If it wasn't just in their own minds, then every freak on the planet could be enjoying the therapies of a nice cold grave right about now.

Ooo, the freak had shut his book. Rupert was scared now. Practically quaking in his 'You are my sunshine' apron.

>> "Same with mutants, but more so. You humans have been going after us for a long time. So mutants retaliate. When they do you can't handle it, because you humans are nothing."

The freak stood.

The freak stood, and dropped his poor costume of humanity the same way all of them did, eventually. Every last one of them was nothing but a monster on the inside. It was always refreshing when the package matched the contents.

The freak stood, and grabbed him by the throat. Rupert should have seen it coming. Mutants were mentally unstable like that. Rupert's next breath came in a wheeze. The one after that, too. He had enough troubles breathing with a stab wound in his lung that a little extra help from a squeeze on his airway just about made his day.

>> "I can guarantee you, your friends brought their deaths upon themselves. ...Tell them instead of butting into our affairs, they should be clearing the area, keeping people away until we're done. Buildings, cars, material possessions can be replaced, your lives cannot."

The freak was babbling. That was nice. While the freak was babbling, Rupert was meeting him stare for stare.

"You done," he wheezed, "yet? About time. Like I was saying," wheeze, "before: the only atrocity about the Camps wasn't that we didn't kill you all when we had the chance. If some of us have to die to take you down, that's the," wheeze, "price. It's a price we're paying anyway. It's about damn time we got our money's worth out of that blood."

That's about when Rupert tried smashing the emptied coffee cup into the side of the mutant's discolored face. The side away from Mister Human-Mutant Relations.

The tension broke slightly after Sam got burned. Conversation was held between the two but he didn’t pay much mind to it, he was reading body language more than anything. Both seemed a little tense but the human was the one that was doing all the yelling in Sam’s opinion.

"Same with mutants, but more so. You humans have been going after us for a long time. So mutants retaliate. When they do you can't handle it, because you humans are nothing."

Sam’s eyes widened, as he knew what was about to come, violence. Subconsciously Sam started to lower the temperature in the shop only slightly at first but then easily noticeable. Sam didn’t stop himself once he noticed the change as he jumped back in a slight surprise as the elf changed into a more grotesque looking beast. He looked like a human experiment gone wrong; he body was covered in blue, as he seemed bigger than before. All Sam muttered was “Bad ass!” a smile appeared on his face as he was about to talk to the significantly cooler looking mutant up until the elf’s hand shot out around the Rupert’s neck.

"You done," yet? About time. Like I was saying," "before: the only atrocity about the Camps wasn't that we didn't kill you all when we had the chance. If some of us have to die to take you down, that's the," "price. It's a price we're paying anyway. It's about damn time we got our money's worth out of that blood."

This statement outraged Sam. He didn’t even feel like helping Rupert out of the death grip the mutant seemed to have on him. But his deep down something was urging him to act. Sam noticed that small ice crystals were forming around the small building. Sam tensed up as he noticed their were a set of ice feet forming on the other side of the mutant and Rupert. They weren’t noticeable yet but if Sam didn’t stop this problem the feet would become noticeable when they were attracted to one of his ice golems.
Sam took a deep breath as the room continued to get colder as ice started to form on the windows. “Please let him go.” Sam said to the mutant, “He is obviously can’t do anything to you so please let him go.” Sam hoped that this conflict would resolve it’s self before it turned more violent than it was already. Sam slightly flinched as he noticed Rupert lifting the coffee pot for a swing to the mutants head. ‘This isn’t going to end well’ thought Sam.

Kaz noticed the slight change in the temperature of the room right away, the nerves in his body picking up the change as easily as if someone was yelling in his ear. He didn't spare the obvious mutant to his left a glance. Kaz did pick up the nearly inaudible 'Bad ass!' muddering, and he inwardly smirked. Rupert seemed to be having more trouble breathing than he should have considering Kaz knew his grip wasn't THAT strong at the moment. <Maybe he already has a breathing problem?> It could be, though Kaz couldn't remember hearing any before he grabbed him.

The temperature had dropped enough for ice crystals to begin forming all around the room, Kaz could pick out each small crystal when he focused on it. If it continued he knew they'd grow together to be much larger.


"You done," yet? About time. Like I was saying," "before: the only atrocity about the Camps wasn't that we didn't kill you all when we had the chance. If some of us have to die to take you down, that's the," "price. It's a price we're paying anyway. It's about damn time we got our money's worth out of that blood."

Kaz smirked at Rupert. <Stupid human.> The ice manipulator was starting to get on Kaz's nerves and he was about to take the guy down when he spoke. “Please let him go. He obviously can’t do anything to you so please let him go.” Kaz turned his head and his attention to the mutant and felt the coffee mug shatter against his head, which he barely registered in his mind, and his body didn't respond to it at all. Rupert might as well have thrown a flower against the Statue of Liberty. "True, but you might be able to." He said in a level tone as he looked the mutant in the eyes. "I'll give you this one warning: Stop what you're doing, or I'll take it as an act of aggression towards me." Kaz was very confident in himself and his ability to deal with most any threat. He also hoped the mutant would get the hint from the warning, he really didn't feel like fighting.

Looking back at Rupert. "You really are ignorant are you?" Kaz gave the man a quick squeeze. "You could have killed any one or all of the mutants in those camps, and SOME would have deserved it. Just like you humans, some of you deserve to die. But what you don't seem to grasp, is that if you had killed them, you and all the humans in this country would have quickly died without even getting a pit for your corpse to rot in." Taking a breath, "You obviously have no clue how many mutants didn't go along with the registration, some hid, some didn't, and some, as you saw, fought back. Those few that fought back undid what you morons put in place. That was only a handful of mutants."

Kaz pushed his arm forward and let go, throwing Rupert by his neck backwards. "You humans need to learn something quick: Your race is dying out. We will replace you in time. When it becomes obvious, you'll wish you had tried to work it out with mutants. Though knowing you humans, you're so stubborn and sure of your superiority that you'll never realize it."

Rupert hit the cabinets behind the counter, shoulders first, head next.

>> "You humans need to learn something quick: Your race is dying out. We will replace you in time. When it becomes obvious, you'll wish you had tried to work it out with mutants. Though knowing you humans, you're so stubborn and sure of your superiority that you'll never realize it."

He coughed, getting his breath back as he pushed himself back to his feet. His eyes were still locked on the freak, with slight flicks over to the freak who'd cutely pretended to be human until it wasn't convenient anymore. Typical.

"Superiority." He said, with a humorless laugh behind the word. "If humans were superior, I wouldn't be the one picking himself up from the floor right now." He gave a nonchalant dusting off to his apron, then strode right back up to the counter, right back into grabbing range. "Let's get one thing straight here, mutant: I'm not Darwin's bitch. You freaks might be the next step in evolution, but be damned if I'm just going to bow down and make way for you."

He leaned his arms on the counter, with all the casualness of a dog at the end of its chain. His mouth was twisted into a snarl of a smile. "You call me ignorant. That group of mutants that fought back--you really don't think I knew about them? I worked with them. I was a Supervisor at the New York Camp. I was their inside man. I was the one who sabotaged the power-suppressant drugs. I was the one who turned off the inmates' collars, when the break-out began. Or didn't you know about that? Were you even there? I was. I don't remember seeing you. You obviously have no idea what your own people are--you're monsters, the lot of you. I was there, just like I was at the Sanctuary Massacre, just like I've been at just about every damn crime scene your people have caused in the past two years. You're a bunch of monsters, with no regard for our 'inferior' human lives. Go ahead and be proud of the freak you are--go ahead and kill me, if you want. But do not stand there and tell me how much I don't know. The only reason I'm not taking your order and smiling like a good little waiter is because I know what you are. Ignorant is the one damn thing I can't pretend to be anymore. I helped you freaks, again and again--I keep giving you the benefit of the ******* doubt. All I've got to show for it is all your damn bloodbaths on my hands, again and again. I'm done with it. Believe me, I know you mutants are set on replacing us. And it's about damn time I stopped pretending that you could be reasoned with."

"And you," his gaze snapped to the other man. The one who was so kindly providing a little cooling off to their situation. Rupert made a sound half in his mouth and half in his throat; it couldn't be mistaken for anything but sheer disgust. "You sicken me. Pretending to be human? ****. If you don't have any pride as a mutant, then at least don't patronize us poor, defenseless humans. If I could snap my fingers and have one of you two die right now, it would be you. At least he--" he jabbed a finger the elf's way, "--knows what he is, and what I am. I'm a zealot, and this is a war. You can take your 'please let him go' and your 'he obviously can't do anything to you', and you can choke on it. I don't need your pity, Homo superior. You can't even order a sandwich right."

"True, but you might be able to." "I'll give you this one warning: Stop what you're doing, or I'll take it as an act of aggression towards me."

Sam didn’t shift his gaze from the blue elf as he gave the threat. Sam wasn’t afraid of him or a fight but he was concerned for the well being of every one else in a twenty-foot radius, ‘Curse of the hero’ thought Sam as he didn’t move or even flinch. He wanted to protect this human, prove that he was wrong, and prove that he wasn’t a monster.

You call me ignorant. That group of mutants that fought back--you really don't think I knew about them? I worked with them. I was a Supervisor at the New York Camp. I was their inside man. I was the one who sabotaged the power-suppressant drugs. I was the one who turned off the inmates' collars, when the break-out began. Or didn't you know about that? Were you even there? I was. I don't remember seeing you. You obviously have no idea what your own people are--you're monsters, the lot of you. I was there, just like I was at the Sanctuary Massacre, just like I've been at just about every damn crime scene your people have caused in the past two years. You're a bunch of monsters, with no regard for our 'inferior' human lives. Go ahead and be proud of the freak you are--go ahead and kill me, if you want. But do not stand there and tell me how much I don't know. The only reason I'm not taking your order and smiling like a good little waiter is because I know what you are. Ignorant is the one damn thing I can't pretend to be anymore. I helped you freaks, again and again--I keep giving you the benefit of the ******* doubt. All I've got to show for it is all your damn bloodbaths on my hands, again and again. I'm done with it. Believe me, I know you mutants are set on replacing us. And it's about damn time I stopped pretending that you could be reasoned with."

Sam’s eyes turned to Rupert with a little glowing blue twinge to them. This human was starting to get on his bad side, sure he had his opinions but this kind of hatred sickened Sam. Sam immediately had flash backs to books and old film reels with a man that had so much hate in him that he could rally a country to round people up and kill millions. People like that cared Sam; they had no place in a world like this where everyone was different. Sam was about to say something but paused when he saw Rupert’s mouth begin to move.

"And you," "You sicken me. Pretending to be human? ****. If you don't have any pride as a mutant, then at least don't patronize us poor, defenseless humans. If I could snap my fingers and have one of you two die right now, it would be you. At least he--""--knows what he is, and what I am. I'm a zealot, and this is a war. You can take your 'please let him go' and your 'he obviously can't do anything to you', and you can choke on it. I don't need your pity, Homo superior. You can't even order a sandwich right."

That was the last straw. Sam’s abilities seemed to drop the temperature a little more as he walked closer where Rupert was barking like a dog behind the counter like a mangy mutt. Sam wanted to save this pathetic mutt but now he just didn’t care. Sam figured he would justify himself before he would walk out of this place and pretend it never happened.

Sam’s eyes became bluer and bluer as the room became darker and darker due to the fact that the lights and windows were beginning to frost over completely. He was going for the intimidation factor and boy, could he work it. Raising his voice to the human Sam was lost in the moment, “I sicken you? Ha, you make me laugh other way around, you and people like you sicken me, so ignorant and fearful from other who aren’t like you it does make me happy to show that people like you often die out when any real situation presents itself for you to rise up. You remind me of dumber version of Hitler…” Sam paused for a second to let it sink in before he continued, “People like you give a bad name to the human race. You’re just like the people that kidnapped me when I was five ****ing years old and raised me as a weapon.” Sam’s voice started to get louder and louder as he was ready to throw a punch at Rupert. “I may be a monster, but only because monster’s like you made me his way.” Sam activated his powers fully so an ice casing formed around his body. The selling point he thought in his suit was the long razor like tail that floated back and forth as the horns gleamed in the dim lighting of the room. A small smirk appeared on his face glad that he could look like this while maintaining the right mentality.

“And Second off, you’re an idiot, it’s not that damn hard to add extra ingredients to a sandwich, must suck working here day in and day out. What are you 50 years old and alone right? Must suck living alone, maybe that is the motivation you need to stop being such a little bitch…” Sam kept gaze with him as he just finished his verbal assault, Sam actually wished that the human would take a swing at Sam. If he did all he would get out of it was frostbite. Sam’s armor was well below sub zero and it was still decreasing.

This human was different from the others, Kaz realized as Rupert stared him in the eye as he picked himself up off the ground. The man didn't back down and didn't give an inch. Kaz mentally gave Rupert a point in his mind. <He's got a backbone.> Kaz was smiling while Rupert talked.

"Superiority." "If humans were superior, I wouldn't be the one picking himself up from the floor right now." He gave a nonchalant dusting off to his apron, then strode right back up to the counter, right back into grabbing range. "Let's get one thing straight here, mutant: I'm not Darwin's bitch. You freaks might be the next step in evolution, but be damned if I'm just going to bow down and make way for you."

Kaz burst into laughter, he couldn't help himself. The guy was funny, he was down to earth, and he may be a poodle with no power, but damned if he was gonna let someone push him around. Rupert went into Kaz's mind permanantly as one of the few people, human or mutant, that he liked and respected. Kaz continued to listen to Rupert, his mind and ears fully open to the man now.

"You call me ignorant. That group of mutants that fought back--you really don't think I knew about them? I worked with them. I was a Supervisor at the New York Camp. I was their inside man. ------ Believe me, I know you mutants are set on replacing us. And it's about damn time I stopped pretending that you could be reasoned with."

"And you," "You sicken me. Pretending to be human? ****. If you don't have any pride as a mutant, then at least don't patronize us poor, defenseless humans. If I could snap my fingers and have one of you two die right now, it would be you. At least he--" "--knows what he is, and what I am. I'm a zealot, and this is a war. You can take your 'please let him go' and your 'he obviously can't do anything to you', and you can choke on it. I don't need your pity, Homo superior. You can't even order a sandwich right."

"You're right Rupert, I wasn't there. I was in a comma during the time, put there by your damned robots. It's where I got this scar." He pointed to his face. "You did right by helping the mutants, I'm sure you knew it then. But what did you expect them to do when they got free of their imprisonment? Walk out calmly as if nothing happened?! They were pissed and hurt and scared! Then vented on the people who did that to them! Humans once again hurt mutants because they're scared and don't understand or want to understand mutant, and mutants again retaliated. You people did it to yourselves again." Kaz sighed heavily. "Though it may not mean anything to you, I'll be honest and tell you," <So it's not the whole truth...>, "you're the first human who's gained my respect. It'd be no fun if you put your tail between your legs and gave up." He genuinely smiled at Rupert. "It's nice to meet a human that has a brain and the balls to bark and act without an army backing them." It may seem as if Kaz justed pulled a 180, but that's just who Kaz was, he was always in the middle, unable to go to one side or the other completely.

The lights seemed to dim slightly to Kaz's eyes, though diffuse would be the best way to describe it. Kaz noted the lights were almost completely frosted over. He sighed and looked at the other mutant as he began his own rant, which seemed to Kaz to be a bit disorganized. Kaz figured the guy must be fuming mad. The mutant's eyes were glowing an intense blue, <Yup, completely pissed>.

“I may be a monster, but only because monster’s like you made me this way.” With that the guy encased himself in ice, like some kind of midevil armor complete with an ice tail and horns. “And Second off, you’re an idiot, it’s not that damn hard to add extra ingredients to a sandwich, must suck working here day in and day out. What are you 50 years old and alone right? Must suck living alone, maybe that is the motivation you need to stop being such a little bitch…”

Kaz sighed heavily. The guy reminded Kaz of how he use to be, fully of fury and little control, though unlike Kaz, he didn't seem able to focus his energy on one thing. He was all over the place. If he was concerned about people outside of this room or for Rupert at all, he wasn't showing it.

<I warned him.>

The only waning that Kaz was about to strike was the shimmer that seemed to cover his body. He had already warned the mutant, so he had no problem with not holding back. Kaz's right arm went full force straight for the mutant's chest. The physical impact first, and then the spacial shockwave second, two hits with the same strength in the same spot instantly.

Kaz wasn't done, a punch from with his left, followed by a medium and a high kick. Each blow followed by the shock wave. If the mutant was knocked out of physical range from any of his blows, it wouldn't matter, the shock wave that followed would continue straight on course. Four powerful blows in half as many seconds. When Kaz stopped, he oriented himself toward the mutant with a blank expression.